Kili x Reader (OC)
by Ellerosa
Summary: Kili's fate in love has already been determined, but it does not include his present partner, Kerra. What does this mean for her? A short story from her perspective. I don't own the Hobbit btw...
1. Chapter 1

Hi guys! So I recently saw _The Hobbit: The Desloation of Smaug_ and found inspiration for a fan fiction~ I know...weird huh? Well I hope you like it anyway. It'll have relatively short chapters, kind of like drabbles, I guess. Please review so I can see whether I should keep going or not...

* * *

We had been summoned by Thorin to feast at the Hobbit's house that fateful night. Little did I know that I would learn my destiny, and from that day forth, endure much heartache in my journey towards it. I sat, ignorant of what was to come, at the table next to Kili. He was a childhood friend of mine, and, as of recently, my partner. We ate together sparingly; I had warned him of Bilbo's limited hospitality towards the dwarves. But the other dwarves more than compensated for what little we ate.

"Kerra, come. I must speak to you," Gandalf said suddenly. He rose from his chair with difficulty. He was not accustomed to the shorter height of us small folk. Silently, I rose as well, and followed him as he made his way outside.

"What is it, Gandalf?" I asked pleasantly. He shifted, as if uncomfortable, so I smiled to reassure him. Surely what he had to say would not affect me too much.

"I have seen the future, Kerra, and because of what I have witnessed, I think it fair that _you_ too should see the eventuality of this cause."

Gandalf conjured a ball of swirling light with his staff, and held it hovering in his grasp before my eyes. I glanced up at him curiously.

"You must look," he said, nodding his head towards the ball of light. "You _must_ see for yourself what is to come."

I lowered my gaze to the ball, and stared at it as hazy images began to emerge and disappear as quickly as they were conjured. Scenes swept past rapidly until the ball chose one, and brought it to focus. It was of Kili, his eyes full of a fierce warmth that made my heart flutter. But his complexion was deathly pale. He held his hand out to touch that of a woman's. The image fluctuated to that of the woman's – an elven maiden. She was nodding slowly, and smiling though a sole tear ran down her cheek.

"What is this?" I asked, confused and distraught at the turn of events that the ball had shown. Was Kili to love another if what the ball had shown was true? Gandalf nodded, his old eyes watching me gravely.

"I would advise you to distance yourself now. If you are to come with us on this journey, know that it will end thus and prepare yourself. When the time comes, we will all need you to be strong," he said. I straightened, disguising the sunken feeling in my chest with the courage of a dwarf. I would take back Erendor by Thorin's side regardless of the hopeless fate of my relationship with Kili.

This I told Gandalf, and he smiled, though it did not touch his eyes. I would trust his advice and distance myself. Whatever happened, I supported our cause with my life.


	2. Chapter 2

I know that it moves fast and I've skipped through a lot, but please bare with me. Tauriel is coming within the next few chapters...please review; I'd love to know what you think and any suggestion you might have for the direction of this story.

* * *

I shifted upon the hay as I tried – and was failing terribly – to succumb to sleep. It had been a tiring day filled with Orcs and other terrors that lurked in the woods, including the skin changer. Had Gandalf not told us of this house, we wouldn't have survived the night. I turned to my side, trying to find a comfortable position to sleep in when I spied Kili. He too was awake, and staring at me with sadness in his dark eyes. I had begun to distance myself, and was doing my best to ignore the terrible ache in my heart, but tonight I could hardly bare it. I hadn't spoken to him in nearly a week, and I had barely looked at him for longer. Why did it have to be so hard?

"Can't sleep?" he whispered. I nodded tentatively and made to turn back round when he stopped me. "Please," he said hurriedly, "don't turn away from me."

I looked at him, properly in the eyes this time. He smiled a little, though his eyes remained sad. He shuffled forward slowly, hesitating every now and then to gauge my reaction, but finding no clear protest, came to lie directly before me.

"What are you doing?" I asked, unsure and a little apprehensive as to his intentions. I did not want this night to demolish the walls I had just begun to erect. But perhaps I could allow him this close to soothe the pain in my heart just this once.

"I haven't been able to sleep properly without my pillow," he replied, a mischievous glint in his eyes. I smiled, looking away briefly, and his expression turned serious once more. "Why are you avoiding me?"

There it was – the necessary question that I had dreaded ever since I began my quest to distance myself from him. I looked down at my hands, balled together by the hem of my shirt. This would be difficult to answer because I _would not_ lie to him. If it was one thing I owed him for all I had been putting him through, it was the truth.

"I've been contemplating all the outcomes that could possibly happen from this quest, and I've found two. Either we live and take back Erendor, or we die trying. If the second one comes true, I want to be prepared. I don't want to lose you, but I don't want to suffer if I do. Please, allow me that?" I said slowly. I looked back up at him to find his eyes fixed on mine. His fidgeting gaze watered and he smiled ever so slightly, and I knew that he had found peace in my words.

"Come," he said finally, opening his arms to me. I rolled forward into his welcome embrace and rested my forehead against his chest, feeling his heartbeat. "I won't let you lose me, an I won't lose you. But I will grant you your wish on one condition."

"What is that?" I mumbled against him. He tightened his grip around me, pulling me to him completely. I sighed, content for the moment at last.

"You return to me when this is over, whether we have won or not," he finished. I hesitated – the ball Gandalf had shown me had predicted that he would go to another. I could not promise to return to him if he no longer wanted me.

"If you will have me," I said. He chuckled, ignorant to the meaning of my words. I shifted against him and found my peace and comfort finally, sinking into a welcomed slumber beneath his embrace.


	3. Chapter 3

_Giant spiders_.

How could we have guessed that such evil creatures could dwell in what once was a forest of peaceful people? But they had ambushed us, as our heads grew weary from the terrible sorcery. I had tried with my steady blade to defend myself, and had managed like the others to kill one, but there were too many, and they were much too big.

Now I was cocooned in their sticky webs, preparing to be feasted upon. Was this how it would end? No. I did not care for my own life, but at the very least I had to try for the sake of my brothers. I struggled, kicking at the web that clung to me with little success. It was no use – I was stuck. Suddenly I saw a sleek shadow cross my path, and I was abruptly falling to the forest floor. The web of my cocoon luckily caught on a tree branch and unraveled as I fell, landing softly on the foliage beneath. The spiders were quiet.

I looked up to see who had released us when my face met with yet another cocooned victim, falling from the nest above. We fell to the ground and the person – of whom I could not yet recognize – began to kick and struggle his or her own way out of the web.

"Gah!" they exclaimed in exasperation as they finally emerged, "this is disgusting."

It was Kili. Trust him to be the one to fall on me. I struggled beneath him, and he looked down. He let forth a surprised gasp as he rushed to get off me, which then turned into a fit of mischievous laughter.

"Thank you so much for that," I said as I got up unceremoniously, brushing spider webs from my hair and clothes. He laughed again and clutched his belly, stumbling backwards a little.

"I am so sorry," he chuckled, composing himself rather unsuccessfully. I loved his playfulness that, even though he had grown much since childhood, had never left him. "Giant spiders, eh? Who would've guessed?"

"Indeed," I replied, feigning displeasure. Kili smiled again, that smile full of mischief with an ounce of emotion that was reserved solely for me – love. But it should not have been for me. It was meant for _her_.

Suddenly Kili let out a cry of fright as he was pushed to the ground by a hungry spider. It climbed on top of him and threatened him with its terrifying fangs, trying to stake them into his flesh. But he held fast to them, prying them away from him. Before I had time to act, another spider launched itself on me and I fell to the ground on my belly. I could feel its legs coil around me as it prepared to bandage me up once more.

"Kili!" I cried, reaching for him. Somehow, the spider had collapsed to the ground, an arrow protruding from its ugly head. He was watching something in the distance, something that lurked beyond my sight.

Finally, I felt the spider on top of me release its grip as it fell to the side of me in a limp heap. I struggled up, catching my breath, only for it to be stolen once more. I followed Kili's sight to see a tall figure upon the crest of a small hill, their form poised to shoot an arrow from its threshold. They stepped into the light, and my breath was stolen from me. Dear God, not yet.

Was Kili to be taken from me so soon?

* * *

Happy New Year! Here's the next update. Tauriel is finally here. Please review and let me know what you think!

Ellerosa...


	4. Author's Note

Hey guys,

Sorry to have deceived you in thinking this was an update. I just wanted to let you all know that I won't be posting anything more until at least Sunday.

On that note, I leave you for now. I hope you enjoyed New Years!

Ellerosa


	5. Chapter 4

Thorin took my hand and led me with him to the forefront of the small progression. At the head were elves, leading us to their dwelling, and behind us were elven guards, watching us like hawks. Thorin looked at me and bent to whisper to me, his expression grave.

"I have something to tell you, dear one. You mustn't excite yourself over it," he said. My curiosity peaked as I nodded eagerly for him to continue. "It is the reason why Gandalf showed you what he did."

"Tell me," I said when he paused for caution. Thorin was a good man; he had watched over me from birth, ad had groomed me like his own child. I knew that he had planned to tell me this now for my benefit, and I would trust him. Thorin did not utter a word without purpose.

"Staying with Kili will only cause your heart to break; you know this already. You have something we must protect at _all_ costs, and heartbreak might jeopardize its survival. In you belly is conceived the third heir to the throne. We _must_ protect it. This is why Kili does not know," he finished. Thorin watched carefully as I stared up at him, bewildered by the news he had just given to me. I was with child? Shouldn't a mother know before any other that she has a child within her? And it was Kili's – whilst he was to be philandering with that elf, I was to bare his child!

"I am to do this alone?" I asked, a tear wetting my cheek. Thorin's expression softened, and he raised his hand to wipe it gently from my face. He shook his head slowly.

"No, dear one. If Kili won't have you, Fili will. And I will make you queen after me for what you have borne for our kingdom," he replied, his blue eyes sparkling with sincerity. I clutched his hand; this man was a god, I was convinced. I loved him as my father, and perhaps, if our journey succeeded, as a king.

"Thank you, Thorin – may I call you Father, now? I consider you thus," I said, smiling sweetly at him. He returned the smile and chuckled briefly, but his happy disposition eroded to a coarse frown as the elven kingdom's gates rose above us.

"I am your father from this day forward, and will protect you as one in the face of what burdens lie before us."

We proceeded through the gates, and I held onto Thorin's arm as if he was my only hope of survival. With Kili gone to that elf, Thorin might just be that.

* * *

Hey guys! I finally updated; I know it's been a while. So what did you think? Let me know! I hope to post the next one soon. But I'm in a dilemma - to spoil the end of the Hobbit for those who don't know, or not to? Let me know what you think...


	6. Chapter 5

Thus I found myself locked in myself with only my thoughts to keep me company, and even then, such sad thoughts were hardly agreeable. I thought back to the time before our mission to the Lonely Mountain began, when Kili loved me, and only me. I was sure that his heart had not totally abandoned me as of yet – he had told me that he'd wait for me. But I grew miserable as I thought of a time past, when our separation seemed impossible, and our life was not so uncomfortable.

Kili lived, along with his brother, beneath Thorin's roof, and I was considered family because of my near constant presence in their household. I cooked and cleaned for them like any other she-dwarf, though I think Fili and Kili were well aware that it was not out of female 'duty' that I did it. Thorin was working hard to support us, and Fili and Kili worked and trained too. I had to look after them because otherwise, they would not look after themselves.

And every night, we would eat at the table comforted by a warm hearth and a good meal. Then, when we'd retire to our bedroom, Kili would smile and snuggle closer to me as we succumbed to sleep.

"I love you," he'd say each night before blowing out the candle, "and one day, we'll have a home of our own and a cheeky brood to look after within the walls of Erebor."

It was a life I loved, and a life I did not entirely welcome giving up. But I did, and it led me to this – solitude, the loss of the man I loved to an elf, and a belly filled with his own child. No! I would not let this happen any longer. I would not give in to a fate that could be undone. I would try, then, from this day forward, to reconcile with Kili the damage I had done. Our child would not be fatherless, and Kili, and the line of Durin, would not be heirless.

But suddenly I heard footsteps, and the faint sound of hushed voices that echoed across the rock walls. That voice was unmistakable – it was Kili's – and I dared not guess to whom he was talking. I knew already that it would be Tauriel. I peered through the iron bars of the cell to see her at the curve of the path, seated upon the steps there. Kili was watching her, awed at the rumored beauty of the elves. Indeed she was beautiful; with luscious red hair and kind eyes, she seemed radiant beneath the torchlight. I only grieved that Kili's eyes did not restrain themselves.

Albeit Thorin's firm warning that Kili should not know, corroborated by Gandalf's silence in the matter of my pregnancy to anyone but Thorin, I decided then that whatever Kili chose, he deserved to know. I could give him that, at least.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

When Tauriel passed my cell on her way to the cellar beneath, I stretched my hand out and pulled at her sleeve. She stopped and, spying me, turned and offered me a kind smile.

"You are Kili's mate," she said fondly. "He speaks well of you."

I blushed and retrieved my hand to me. I looked at her with baited fear - this was the woman I was to lose Kili to if I could not turn fate around. But she was beautiful and kind, and she would make him happy. That was all I could ask of.

"I would ask you to deliver some news to him, then," I began. It was cruel, I knew, to use _her_ of all people to tell him, but given the present state of imprisonment of all the dwarves with little chance of escape, she was all I had. I explained this to her and imparted my news, and pity showed in her gaze. She would comply then? She nodded.

"I will tell him."

* * *

Hey guys! I know nothing much happened in this chapter, but plenty will soon. Please review and tell me what you think - if I can improve anything, or something in particular you'd like to see happen. I might be able to write it in :)


	7. Chapter 6

Kili

I was surprised when I saw Tauriel returned, but she looked somewhat excited, almost mischievous. I did not expect her back so soon, not when Legolas was watching her every move. He was jealous of me, I could tell. Tauriel and I shared the same want of adventure, of excitement. I was fond of her for that. But at the same time, my heart wished it were Kerra that I talked to. I had let her go, stupidly on my part, and was anxious to have her back with me. But Tauriel – she was a complication. My heart was decidedly fixed on Kerra, but my mind with all of its unbridled imagination, wanted Tauriel.

"Little dwarf," Tauriel smiled fondly as she crouched outside my prison cell. She looked at me with a strangely knowing expression, and my curiosity peeked. Why had she returned?

"What is it?" I asked. She chuckled and smiled even brighter, if that were at all possible. Before me, she seemed to shine.

"I have happy news for you from your mate," she said. I perked at the mention of Kerra and urged her to continue. I could not see Kerra from my cell, and did not know if she was safe or not. By the Gods if someone had touched her, they would lose their life to me! But what of the happy news? I did not understand.

"My dear little dwarf," she continued, her voice saturated with anticipation. "You are to father a child!"

…Pardon?

My heart was struck numb, and I was shocked. A child? Kerra was with child? My god, oh yes, my god, I was to be a father! I breathed and my expression broke into a beam that could outshine even the sun's golden rays. A child!

"Ha!" I exclaimed, jumping up and down stupidly with exuberance. My love – my Kerra was baring my own child. Tauriel chuckled at my enthusiasm. "Kerra! Kerra is it true?" I called excitedly. For a moment there was nothing, and then I heard the belated cry of…relief, perhaps?

"It is," Kerra confirmed, her voice a distant echo across the damp stone walls. I sobbed happily and looked to Tauriel, begging her to take me to Kerra. I needed to see her, to see her and my child.

"Of course, little one," Tauriel said gracefully and unlocked my cell. As soon as I was free, I charged to the stairwell and, spying Kerra in her own cell one level below, sprinted straight to her. I stopped myself before her cell and grasped at her hands around the iron bars of the cell. She looked at me, tears evident in her bright eyes, and she let a grin brighten her expression.

"You are with child," I mused breathlessly from running.

"I am with child," she repeated calmly. She took one of my hands and placed it upon her barely swollen belly. It had not been long, then.

I broke then, collapsing to the floor at her feet. Kerra was something more than just my mate now; she was the mother of my child and the mother of the Durin heir. She was a queen among dwarves for what she bore, and my queen for the child she would bare me. My mind was set. This woman I would love 'til the day I died.

* * *

Hey guys! So I kind of guessed it was time for a bit of Kili POV. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, even though it's pretty much just fluffy stuff. But I think it was needed ;)

Please review and let me know what you think!


	8. Chapter 7

I watched Kili reluctantly return to his cell, dragged by the few elf guards who had caught him outside. Tauriel had already left to allow us some privacy, as Kili comprehended the circumstances of fatherhood and motherhood that had blessed us both. He knew now, by my own words, that Gandalf and Thorin had sought to protect me, and he agreed. With all seriousness, he commanded me to think only of the welfare of our child and myself.

Not long after, Tauriel was back at my cell. I was surprised to see her, but found that I was no longer wary of her as a rival to Kili's heart. This pregnancy had set my life's union to Kili in concrete. But Tauriel's expression was forlorn, shamed perhaps.

"What is it, Tauriel?" I asked, suddenly fearful for the words that were to come. She breathed, calming herself, and began uneasily.

"Legolas knows. He has not told his father, the king, but he has sent for an audience with you and with Thorin. I am to take you to him immediately."

I stiffened; Legolas was known for his hatred of dwarves, and his stony demeanor did nothing to warm the prospect of facing him. But I condoned it. This was the future king of the elves, and I believed that a sense of duty and mercy lay fast behind that title. I let Tauriel bind my hands – for the purpose of appearances, she apologized – and she led me to Legolas, being careful to avoid the eye of Kili. He would protest, surely.

We came to a room, and there we found Thorin standing before the taller Legolas. The latter peered suspiciously at me as I came to stand with Thorin and Tauriel unbounded my hands.

"You told him. You told Kili," Thorin said simply. There was no anger behind the words, like I had expected there to be. But there was a sadness that plagued him, I could see it in his blue eyes that he wished I had not. Nevertheless, he broke contact and faced Legolas, bristling to his tallest and most majestic.

"So," Legoals began, fixing the gaze of his blue eyes on me. I had heard of the beauty of elves, and this man was certainly no exception. He seemed to glow an unearthly aura around him, and though his expression was hard, there was a natural gentleness and grace about him. "This is the mother of the last heir to Durin."

Despite myself, I inclined my head to him. He was royalty and I was not, after all. He seemed pleased, and physically relaxed from his staunch posture. He came towards us and regarded Thorin.

"I have a prospect for you to consider, Thorin Oakenshield," he said. Now he stood before Thorin.

"Go on," the latter prompted, risking a glance at me. I could tell he was as ignorant as I as to the purpose of my presence here. I could only assume that the _prospect_ had something to do with the child I carried.

"The journey you pursue is no doubt perilous, considering you wish to wake and slay the dragon beneath the Lonely Mountain," said Legolas. "I know that somehow you will find a way to escape these walls. I would think it irresponsible of you to put the mother of your last heir in a situation that might risk the lives of her and her baby. I offer her protection here, in the sanctuary of our kingdom at Mirkwood. If anything should happen to your party, she will have a home here for as long as she might wish. If you succeed, she will go to the Lonely Mountain."

I saw the sense in his proposition, but not him motive. As much as I protested the separation that would come between Kili and I, I could not argue that the protection of my child was no debatable matter. Kili had told me himself that I should think of the wellbeing of our child and I.

"Why?" Legolas look at me and cocked his head. "I don't see why you would go out of your way to protect your enemy, let alone the heir to their kingdom."

"Whatever premonitions you have of me, Kerra, Mother of Durin – however deep you think my hatred for dwarves runs – I cannot helplessly watch a mother and her unborn child go willingly to their death. It would be selfish of you to decline my offer at the risk of your child's life," he said bitterly.

I nodded shamefully. So Legolas was not entirely like his father then. His face might be cold and unwelcoming, but his heart was warm and kind. I curtsied deeply to him.

"I am sorry if I offended you."

It was then that Thorin finally spoke, and his words surprised me. I had thought he would object to any sort of hospitality that the elves would offer, but apparently not.

"I condone your offer. I too cannot let Kerra walk willingly beside my company and me into a dragon's lair with a child in her belly. I will not object on one condition."

"Tell me," Legolas replied. He seemed eager for me to accept. I had never expected such a request from Legolas, as if he _wanted_ me to live and birth the heir to Durin.

"If we die, she will have a home here for as long as she lives, free from the discrimination of dwarves and elves, and her child will be brought up as the Heir of Durin with your own guidance," Thorin said. Legolas bowed his head graciously.

"I, unlike my father, wish you success on your journey in the hopes that our kingdoms might be comrades in my lifetime. I will teach the heir of your line as I have been taught to be a prince. I will take care of Kerra as long as she lives within these walls," he replied. A tear broke from its threshold and wetted my cheek at the prospect of a life with the elves, with Legolas and Tauriel. A life without Kili and Thorin, if they died, gods forbid.

"I accept your offer, Legolas Greenleaf, with the utmost appreciation. But I pray with all my heart that you-" I looked to Thorin "-will succeed."

* * *

Hey readers! I'm so sorry I've been slack, but I'm a little short of time. So here's a long chapter for you! What do you think? I wanted to give Legolas a benevolence as a precursor to his character in the LotR series. I hope you like it. Somehow I imagined that Thorin would be more willing to negotiate with Legolas given the content they discussed, since Thorin cares for Kerra as a father.

Please review and let me know what you think!


	9. Chapter 8

It was two weeks ago that the dwarves had broken free from the captivity of the elves. For two weeks I had lingered within the walls of the kingdom, occupying myself with reading the history of the High Elves, and exploring their home. But all the while, my mind kept returning to the day I had parted with my beloved Kili. I stood with Legolas as we watched them go. He did nothing to stop them, as he had promised, but he had also kept Kili away from me.

Kili had cried my name and pushed violently against Legolas' hold as he tried and failed to come to me. It wrenched at my heart to see him thus, so I went to him instead. I put a hand on Legolas' shoulder, bidding him to release his hold on Kili. As he did so, the latter collapsed into my firm embrace. We held each other for what seemed like eternity, clutching fiercely and desperately to each other.

"You must come back for me," I said through broken sobs. "Don't you dare die on me, Kili of Durin."

He clutched me tighter to him as his body wracked with uncontrollable sobs. There was a chance that he would not return; that I would never see him again, and he knew it as well as I.

"I love you, Kerra," he mumbled almost incoherently into my hair, pressing his wet cheek against mine. "I love you so much."

"As I you," I replied miserably, "so, so much."

I kissed him then, long and hard so that he might remember me thus if he did not return. When it was time to go, I regretted releasing his warm hand, and watched him go with a heavy heart.

"Little she-dwarf," I turned as a silky voice called for me not far behind, "are you here all alone?"

I watched, guarded, as Thranduil stepped into my sight. He shone in the mid afternoon light like an angel, a king. I did not admire this man for his fierce sense of preservation and the wrongs he committed because of it, but he was of good company when he was not ruling the kingdom.

"I am," I replied, turning back to watch the tranquil forest below the terrace where we stood. Thranduil accompanied me at the rail.

"Do you miss them, little one? I am sure you do, but have faith in Tauriel and Legolas. I am grieved to have lost them to a dwarven cause, but they are strong warriors and good protectors," he said. I looked at him skeptically.

"As are my kin. But it is a dragon they face."

Thranduil turned, his silvery blonde hair glinting in the warm light. His crown stood tall on his head, like the antlers of a majestic and elegant deer. His expression was amused.

"You are wise, little one," he said. "But I would not be so quick to judge the dragon as their maker of demise. Your _father_ is prone to sickness, remember."

"He will prevail, I hope, with good council and a strong will," I replied. The dwarves would keep him well balanced, I was sure. But I thought of Kili and how he must be faring. He was strong and wild at times, eager for violence. Against a dragon, I did not know how he would do. "I pray for them. All of them."

"I shall pray for my children and nothing more," he retorted, but I did not miss the glint of regret in his eyes. He too longed to see them return safe to him, just as I did my fellow dwarves and the hobbit. I took his hand – the elf king's hand – and stood silently with him until the sun set. We would see our kin again, gods willing.

* * *

Never thought Thranduil would be so nice to a dwarf, right? Well just bear with me; I know I've dwelled on the elves for quite some time now. Just letting you know, as I don't know the fate of Tauriel yet, I'm going to make an alternate ending to The Hobbit and perhaps write a sequel for the LotR...

Thanks to VanessaAndEllieTheVamps for helping me! Please review and let me know what you think.


	10. Chapter 9

One week more had passed, and my belly was beginning to swell with the growth of the little heir inside. I was well, flourishing at my maternal best in the elf kingdom of Mirkwood, but I longed for the familiar company of my kin. I longed for Kili's smile, and Fili's hearty laugh, and Thorin's firm and warm demeanor. I missed them all dearly, but chose to remain ignorant of the outcome I feared most. Had the dragon prevailed? Surely not.

But the sinking feeling in my stomach did nothing to calm me. I needed to see them, to hear some sort of word to let me know that they were alive still. So at night, accompanied by only one elf of the name of Huidran, whom had been ordered by Thranduil to guard me, I crept beyond the confines of the elf kingdom, and in a boat, we silently sailed down the rushing river that took its course towards Laketown. It was the nearest city to Erebor, and the dwarves had surely stopped there on their way to the mountain. As an elf, Huidran was allowed access to Laketown easily, as I hid beneath the veil of a heavy cloth.

"They will be with Bard," Huidran said quietly to me as he navigated slowly through the canals of the town. "He is the only one whose boat was anchored to Mirkwood's harbor on the lake this month."

I remained silent for fear of exposure. Elves were not usually fond of dwarves, and I had been considerably lucky to gain the comradeship of the High Elves, especially their king. Perhaps there was something about a pregnant woman that all men sympathized to. Legolas had certainly made clear so.

Abruptly, the boat stopped as it gently touched the old wood of a wharf. Huidran anchored the boat there, and lifted the cloth to tell me so. I rose, and he wrapped the cloth around me so that my appearance was obscured from others. I had dangerous business here, and it was likely that if I was indiscrete, I could expose the other dwarves if they were still here. Huidran led me up a flight of stairs to an old house, where he knocked quietly on the door.

Soon, a young man greeted us, his expression grim and suspicious. Huidran bowed his head politely and lifted back the cloth from my face.

"I have brought the dwarf Kerra to see her kin. Are they here?" he enquired. The man, presumable Bard, nodded staunchly and let us in.

"One is gravely injured, I'm afraid; by an orc arrow nonetheless. The others have gone on to the mountain."

We rounded the corner, and I was shocked to see Kili, as pale as the moon and convulsing terribly on a bed of hard wood and nuts. At his side was Tauriel, her hands covering a wound on his leg, and she was chanting fiercely. Elf medicine, I observed. And as she did, I saw Kili peering dreamily at her. The scene looked oddly familiar, as he lifted his hand towards her and whispered the words I had long since feared would come.

"Do you think she could have loved me?"

* * *

Chapter's up, as you can see! What did you think? I feel like I'm racing through things, but I spent a lot of time dwelling on things in Mirkwood. So the reckless Kerra goes on an adventure~

Let me know what you thought :)


	11. Chapter 10

"She is far beyond me. She walks amongst the stars. She cannot be real," Kili continued. He found his grip on Tauriel's hand, and she in turn grasped his. She looked at him affectionately, and smiled gently. Each word, each action that passed between them tore at my heart. Was it all to come to this now? She would prevail in his heart despite the child that grew in my womb.

"She is here, right now, very much within your reach, little dwarf. She is real, and she loves you as you love her," Tauriel replied. She took his hand and placed it over his wound, which had healed well because of her skill in medicine. Tauriel looked to me, then. She smiled a warm greeting and beckoned me to her.

"Shall you see him, Kerra? He is healed and will live," she said happily. I complied and walked to the bed on which Kili laid. His eyes were drawn from exhaustion, and his complexion was pale and marred by sweat and dirt. He had suffered too much. I covered his hand that rested limply on his chest with my own and bent to kiss his hot forehead. He was still recovering from the fever the poisoned arrow had induced.

"Thank you," I sobbed quietly. Despite my heartache, I was immensely grateful and indebted to Tauriel for saving my beloved. The elf nodded humbly from her perch on Kili's bed and watched silently as I fussed over Kili.

"She is here. Kerra, she is here," he mumbled almost incoherently. I smiled sadly. Knowing he was safe, I would leave once more with Huidran to Mirkwood, I supposed. Thranduil would have me, and Legolas would provide education and protection for my child. I would be safe and happy, knowing that Kili was alive and free of the dragon, and happy with Tauriel as he wanted.

"She is; Tauriel saved you, and she is here, with you," I replied, caressing his cheek for the last time. But Kili frowned. He grasped my hand and held it to his cheek, looking at me with fierce intensity, marred only by the hazy exhaustion in his eyes.

"No. _You_ are here. You have come from your place amongst the stars to me, and you loves me," he murmured. I stopped fast in action and breath. He had been talking of me? Again I sobbed, but it was tears of happiness that wet my cheek, not sadness.

"Kili of Durin," I began, but now with renewed wits, "you promised that you would not die, and you would return to me. But you _have_ almost died – and _not_ because of a dragon, I might add – and you have made me come to you."

Kili smiled that mischievous smile, the one that was reserved only for me; the one that held love. Suddenly he latched his hand behind my neck and brought me down to him for a fleeting kiss.

"It is because you love me," he smiled. And I could not argue with that.

* * *

He lives! What do you think? Please review and let me know if you have any suggestions or improvements you'd like to see. I hope you liked it. From now on, I'm going to be writing an alternative ending to the Hobbit. I hope this is ok with you guys...


	12. Chapter 11

An hour had passed since I had found Kili healed in Bard's home, and we now sat comforted by the warm hearth. Kili's wound was a mere scar now that stretched but two inches on his calf. He sat, rejuvenating from his ordeal on the small and worn leather couch. I knelt at his feet, tending to his healing wound and every quim. He was still sore, and squirmed each time the wetted cloth touched his skin. But I knew there was little time for him to heal. If we were to survive, I needed at get him to the mountain. Smaug would emerge soon; we had all heard him wake, and he would set his fiery wrath on Laketown next.

Then, I had made a snap decision, and now, as I watched from the boat near the shoreline by the mountain, I was glad for it. The great dragon had set alight the entire town and the people had fled. I watched on in horror, clutching to Kili who, still in a state of delirium from the wound he had suffered, wandered in and out of consciousness. Tauriel was rowing the boat towards the shore; her back turned towards the suffering city. Her lips were pursed in a tortured frown as she tried to block it out. She was lucky for not seeing it.

"Look," I said suddenly, catching sight of a lonely figure at the top of a turret, his arrow poised for fire in the great crossbow. "It is Bard!"

Kili woke a little and peered at the town, the scorching fire glittering in the reflection of the dark lake. Bard let loose the arrow as Smaug soared above, and it lodged in his heart. The great dragon screeched its terrible protest as it tried and failed to stabilize in the smoky sky. But there was little hope for him; that arrow, specially made for dragons, would be the death of him. Smaug plummeted through the sky, his wings desperately scraping at the air, but he caught no flight. He fell into the lake, crushing what was left of the eastern part of the town and sinking hysterically into the watery depths of the lake.

"The desolation of Smaug is come, finally," I murmured, not quite believing that it was true. Water was a dragon's demise; he would not rise again.

"It is done," Kili confirmed. He smiled and sighed in relief, slumping against my frame entirely. Our urgent escape must have weathered his stamina. I stroked his hair from his face and admired him. He truly was beautiful, and he was mine – alive and well.

"Let us find the others," Tauriel said. "Smaug might be dead, but at what cost?"

I agreed, and she hastened for the shore. I prayed that Thorin and his company were alive. I hoped that Fili would greet us with his bright smile and bone-crushing hug at the gates to Erebor. Our kingdom was come at the death of the dragon, Smaug. I only hoped our kin had survived to see it.

* * *

Hey guys! Here's the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it. From now on, I'll be deviating from the book for the purpose of my intended plot. Please don't criticise me for it; I hope that I can remain true to Tolkien's ultimate aim. Please let me know what you think :)


	13. Chapter 12

And so we were barricaded inside the mountain, finding our salvation to be a prison. As the angry men and elves protested at the foot of the Lonely Mountain, I huddled in what used to be Thorin's chambers along with the other dwarves and Bilbo. Kili was healed completely now, but he had been a heavy weight upon my shoulders to carry up the mountain. Tauriel knew the way and led us to the secret door, as Fili and I helped Kili limp up the steep paths of the mountain. Kili drew me close to him; it was cold in the dark stone chambers, which had once been filled with the merriment and liveliness of the young princes.

"Uncle will not give," he muttered to me, securing his arms comfortably around my growing waist. His palms rested at the peak of the mound in my belly, and he sighed contentedly despite our turbulent situation. "Why did you come? There is great danger here."

"You forget," I chimed quietly, "that I am not one to simply sit and do as I am told. Despite the child and despite the danger, I am with you, and that is all that matters to me."

Kili chuckled with satisfaction and bent to kiss my head when his brother flopped onto the floor beside him. Fili had an incessant knack for playfulness, and a seemingly fierce intolerance for 'sappy' affection. But I remembered him in love once, and even he could not resist such affections.

"You two," he huffed playfully as he settled himself against the stone wall, "are pathetic. Here we all are, preparing for war, and you two just snuggle and whisper '_sweet nothings_' to each other. Where's your masculinity gone, Kili?"

Fili hit his brother in the shoulder, and soon the two were tearing around the room, engaged in 'pre-battle play-fighting,' as they excused it to Thorin.

But soon the horn was sounded from the foot of the mountain. So the dwarves of the Misty Mountains had come. I peered through the small window in the rock face and saw their army assembling not two hundred yards away.

"They are here," Thorin announced gravely, taking his armor and donning it. Balin fixed his breastplate into place. Their king paced forward and addressed his warriors in the room.

"Be not afraid," he said. "Today we fight for our home. We fight for what is rightfully ours. We have defeated countless orcs and wargs, bested trolls and goblins, and slain a dragon _together_. With our brothers, today we shall take victory over our homeland too!"

The assembled dwarves cheered at him, raising their eager weapons to his herald. A sole tear fell upon my cheek; this could end in only two ways. My kin would live to reclaim the Lonely Mountain, or they would die in the battle today.

Kili came to me then, his armor shining and expression brave. At his side was his sword, and his beloved bow perched on his back. This was to be his christening in battle and war. I prayed he survived.

"My love, I will come for you when we are victorious," he said. He knelt before me and produced a small golden ring in his gloved hand. "Remember me if I do not return. Remember me as your husband."

I too fell to my knees and took him in a tight embrace. Sobbing into his cold armor, I took the ring from him and kissed the coarse skin of his cheek. He had not yet grown a beard such was his youth.

"Don't you dare die, Kili. I have aid it to you before, and you hardly listened. So listen to me now, Husband. Don't you dare die."

I slipped the ring onto my finger and took his hand in mine. I kissed his palm and closed his fingers around it. But he came forward and pressed his desperate lips to mine.

"I cannot promise you that I will not die," he said carefully. "But for you and our child, I will fight."

* * *

Tada! Nearly there now. Please review and tell me what you thought :) Thank you very very much to all those who have reviewed and inspired me to continue. I owe you all this story


	14. Chapter 13

The dwarves filed from the room, their armor glinting in the afternoon light. Kili kissed me desperately as Thorin pushed him through the door. Fili stopped and smiled solemnly at me before pulling me into a lingering embrace. He was my brother now, and I loved him, as I should. Thorin was the last dwarf to go, and he too turned to bid me goodbye for the present. I was broken with tears as we parted. He had taken me in a frantic embrace, and I clutched to him, willing him not to leave me. He was my father, and I loved him so much that I could not bear the thought of his death.

"I love you, Kerra, my daughter," he had said. "I will see you again, whether it be victorious on the battlefield or in God's kingdom. And we will be father and daughter united, I promise."

I sobbed and let him go, grieving as he departed, bolting the door behind him. Somehow, my heart told me that we would not meet again in this life.

For a day I waited with baited breath in that cold, lonely room, plagued by the sounds of battle below. Tears stained my pale cheeks, and I was exhausted from lamenting my kin's perils. I prayed to God all the while, pleading for him to spare my love, Kili, and his brother, and my father from his kingdom for now. They deserved life, whether they were victorious or not. No one deserved death, not one of them. But as the sounds of clashing swords and cries of death receded, I felt little hope. Curled into a ball in the corner of the room, I imagined the moments passed mere hours ago when Kili's arms held me securely, and Fili embraced me, and when Thorin's goodbye had broken my heart. I wished with all my heart that it had not happened, and that they were all here, safe with me. But it was not so.

Another hour passed, and the terrible depression that had taken me lifted as I heard footsteps in the corridor beyond the door to the room. My heart fluttered and I pulled myself exhaustedly from the floor. The bolt of the door gave way and it creaked open to reveal Bilbo, his expression forlorn and his manner all too pitiful.

"You'd better come," he said gravely. "Thorin has been taken by a goblin's arrow, and Fili and Kili cannot be found."

I let forth a horrific cry and clutched at my chest. It was as if my heart had been cut from its place and was plummeting to my stomach. I stumbled hurriedly towards Bilbo, and he took my hand. I had never gotten to know Bilbo, but he took me into an awkward embrace, comforting me with small and meaningless words. Nevertheless, I leant on him as we journeyed onto the battlefield. He took me to Thorin first. My father lay amongst the beaten and bloodied corpses of men, goblins and other dwarves, his armor sullied with the blood of others and an arrow protruding from his unprotected shoulder. A goblin's arrow was fatal if it caught hold of a person. Poison tipped and narrow bladed, it could pierce and poison one's heart instantly.

"Thorin!" I cried and collapsed by him. Father peered at me behind glazed eyes, breathing heavily and clutching at the arrow's stem. He knew he was dying. I gently pulled his head onto my lap, and cradled him there. His labored breath slowed as he prepared to speak.

"Kerra. Kerra, you cannot see me now. Not like this," he protested weakly. I smiled sadly, glad that his spirit, at least, had not left him yet. I caressed his cheek, wiping what little blood and tears he had shed from it.

"Father, you mustn't die. Please, please, you cannot leave me," I wept. Thorin reached up and brought his own gloved hand to my cheek, smearing the tears across my reddened skin.

"I have no place here any longer. God has seen my duty here done," he replied softly. "I love you, my daughter. We _will_ meet again. Have faith."

I leant down and pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead. Then Thorin looked to Bilbo. His words were obscured to me as I wept and desperately clutched at Thorin's hand. But his parting words were clear.

"Kerra, you are my daughter. Take care of your child – my grandchild – and I look forward to the day we will meet again. Bilbo, if more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world. But, sad or merry, I must leave it now. Farewell my child, my comrade."

And then he was still, his blue eyes gazing upon a land far, far away from this world. I pressed my head against his, and wept. My father was dead.

* * *

:( Thorin's death. I seriously seriously hate that he has to die. He's a wonderful character, and despite his grumpiness and the fact that I tend to antagonise him a lot, I really love him. RIP Thorin Oakenshield.

Please review! Kili will be in the next chapter...be emotionally prepared.


	15. Chapter 14

I stayed with Thorin until the thrushes sang tales of the setting sun once more, and a gentle hand came upon my shoulder. Weary with grief, I forced my gaze upon the person before me. Tauriel peered down at me with sympathy in her forest-green eyes. She bore no wounds of her own that I could see, but her clothes were dirtied with the blood of those she had fought and slain.

"You'd better come with me, little dwarf," she said, her expression unfathomable. She did not looked grieved, but sorry, perhaps. She offered me a small smile and extended her hand. I kissed Thorin's cold cheek once more and laid him gently on the ground.

"I will return," I told him, and took Tauriel's hand. She lead me close to her, one arm wrapped around my shoulders for support. I was exhausted from grief, a mere hollow shell now. Kili and Fili were still lost to me; I knew nothing of their wellbeing.

Tauriel stopped suddenly, and she raised my chin with the gentle hand, directing my gaze back towards Erebor. In the distance, I saw a lone figure, their stature stout and hair wild as they gazed at the ground. My heart fluttered as I recognized their blonde hair and untamed beard, and his pointed sword at his side.

"Fili!" I cried in relief, and with newfound determination, I rushed towards him with Tauriel at my side. Fili, hearing my cry, glanced up and caught my gaze. But his eyes were sad, and his face was stained with salty tears and watery blood. At his feet was the body of his brother, my husband…my Kili.

"Kerra," he breathed when I finally reached him. He collapsed onto me in an embrace of utter exhaustion and hopelessness. "I'm so sorry. He took the blade that was meant for me," Fili explained, sobbing unrestrainedly now. I was no better; as I glanced down at the pale corpse of my husband, my heart broke once more, and tears spilled over my cheeks again. "I couldn't protect him!" he wailed into my hair. "And God; Tauriel…If it weren't for her, he'd be dead!"

I froze.

Tauriel drew Fili from me and knelt down before me, gazing me directly in the eyes. Her gaze held anticipation, excitement.

"Kerra – my dear little Kerra – I have done something very bad indeed," she said, smiling a little. I was confused; how could she jest at a time like this? I stumbled back a step. What was going on?

"What could you have done that is so bad?" I urged her on impatiently. Tauriel brought her hand to her neck, and fingered a thin silver chain that rested just beyond the neckline of her bloodied gown.

"Do you see? It is gone," she said cryptically. I frowned, irritated and impatient to know what was going on. "My immortality is gone from me."

A moment passed, and I gasped. She hadn't, had she? I hurried over to Kili, my weakened state causing me to stumble and trip over the immediate battlefield. I fell by him and foraged beneath the chain of his armor and found, to my delight, a pendant of luminous moon-silver resting on a leather chain around his neck. She had given up her immortality for Kili. She had saved him. I looked to her in awe, and found her to be smiling like a mother gazing upon her child.

"You…you cannot-"

Tauriel pushed her index finger to my mouth, silencing me. She smiled again and leant forward to embrace me gently. I stood frozen, still shocked by her unfathomable generosity. "Thank you," I said sincerely, thawing into the embrace. She chuckled and pulled away.

"It was my pleasure, little dwarf," she said. "But I am sorry to tell you that there is one condition that comes with it."

I smiled, a tear of happiness wetting my cheek. She brushed it away with an elegant hand. "Anything," I replied. I was eternally indebted to her for this.

"You must accept an invitation to live for the rest of your days in Mirkwood. It is the will of your father and my king that you, the sons of Durin, and their heir, might live safely and happily with us. We are kin now," she finished, glancing towards Fili with a gentle, and dare I perceive, loving smile. I looked to him, and found him to be abashedly avoiding my gaze.

"No," I said in disbelief. The Durin heir and an elven guard?

"Yes. Our Fili is to be wed."

I smiled as a deep and husky voice contradicted me. I turned and gazed upon Kili, awake and alive. So God had heard my prayer and sent me an angel…well, and elf.

* * *

Tada! What do you think? The next chapter, I think, will be the final one. Please review and tell me what you thought of this chapter, and any requests you might have for the next :)


	16. Chapter 15

Thorin was buried the very evening that he died, and at the foot of the mountain, I wept at my father's grave. He had died honorably in battle, as he had wished to go, but he was too young, much too young. Legolas had found Thorin's company surrounding his grave and the elf had imparted an elven prayer upon it as a sign of respect to our fallen king. The prince was gracious as ever. And as the setting sun died beneath the horizon, we left our father and king to rest in peace. Our party marched solemnly back to Mirkwood.

Kili walked by me, his arm draped carefully over my shoulders partly to unite our grief, and partly to keep him upright. Tauriel's charm worked well; it had healed all of him but the wound he had sustained from the blade. But the lesion had closed, at least. Tauriel and Fili led the company behind Legolas, the dwarf of the three openly mourning his uncle. He was king now; king of the dwarves beneath the lonely mountain. And through his impending marriage to Tauriel, guard of Mirkwood and savior of the second son of Durin, he would unite the elves and dwarves once and for all. But we were a dying race, I knew, and so our houses would not last much longer than our own lives.

We reached Mirkwood, and the gates were opened with solemn welcome. Our company met Thranduil in his throne room, and he greeted us with less hostility than I had anticipated. In our weakened and grievous state, none of us had the power to challenge him and he, although he was our sworn enemy, respected this. He came down from his elevated throne and took his son and guard in a long embrace. I smiled a little, aware of how much he had pined for their return.

"My son," Thranduil said, "and Tauriel. I am so glad of your safe return."

Legolas stirred noticeably and weaved his way out of his father's grasp. He was sensitive to our grief, and did not wish to worsen our broken hearts.

"With your permission," I began meekly, "might our company recover here until we are well enough to leave?"

Thranduil turned to me and regarded me with affectionate eyes. His gaze travelled to my stomach, and then to Kili, and his lips pursed in thought. A moment passed and he bowed his head graciously to me.

"As you wish, little one. I will put aside the tensions between our races for now, and you may rest in the eastern quarters of our kingdom. Tauriel will lead you there."

I stepped forward – out of Kili's embrace – and came before the elven king of Mirkwood. I took up his embellished hand and pressed a kiss to the great ring that bound his middle finger. It was gracious of him indeed, considering his hatred for our kind. And despite the grief burdening my heart, I recognized his generosity.

"Thank you, _Thranduil_," I replied. The king was paralyzed by the informal way in which I – a dwarf – addressed him, but he nonetheless smiled and bowed his head once again. Alas, I had found a good friend in the enemy.

* * *

Kili rested on the soft mattress of the bed as I stood by the window of our new room. I supposed, due to Tauriel's conditions for relinquishing her immortality for Kili's sake, that this was to be our permanent dwellings. The full moon cast an eerie silver light over Mirkwood, its beauteous structures and forests glimmering with frost. Winter had reached Mirkwood and was on its way east. Soon, all of the Shire, and even the Lonely Mountain would be covered in snow.

"It is cold," a soft voice cooed over my shoulder, and suddenly gentle hands were woven around my stomach. The swelling had grown; the baby would be due in another month. Kili sighed and rested his chin against my shoulder, his breath trembling with tears unshed. I turned in his grasp and caught him in a desperate hold as he collapsed. "It is cold in my heart!"

"I know, Kili, I know," I crooned softly to him. I knelt down with him to soothe him as he wept. I knew all too well the terrible emptiness that filled one's heart when someone close to them is passed.

"Why could it not have been me? I should have taken his place," Kili sobbed. But this time I did not move to comfort him. As much as I grieved Thorin's death, Kili's words stung at my heart. I got up and looked down at him where he sat weeping at my feet sternly.

"Don't you dare say things like that, Kili Durin. If it weren't for Tauriel, you'd…you'd be dead!" My voice quivered with tears. "You would have had your wish then! Take the talisman off, then, and die with your uncle if that is what you desire; if you have no love for me _or_ for Fili."

I strode angrily away from him and perched upon the window seat overlooking the Mirkwood forests. The view was tranquil as ever, contrasting the despair growing in my heart. I drew my knees to me and rested my face, hidden, upon them. Kili had been gifted the miracle of life, yet he had pleaded for death. How could I – his partner, wife, and mother of his child – even begin to comprehend that? A few sounds of scuffling and approaching footsteps brought Kili to me then, and he sat beside me. I did not look at him just yet; my face was still buried in the crook between my knees. Kili brushed my long hair from my face and placed a gentle kiss to my temple. He rested his hand on my back comfortingly.

"I am sorry," he said. "In my grief, I lost myself. Forgive me."

* * *

Bit of a long chapter there :) The next one will time skip to the birth and a very very special day for Durinsons.

Please review and let me know what you think!


	17. Chapter 16

There was nothing about the prince of the dwarves that remotely satisfied the elves' bitter stereotype. He was short and thickly set, of course, but his demeanor was both cheerful and commanding. He was certainly no less than regal as he stood calmly at the altar awaiting his elven bride. Fili donned the dark tunic of the House Durin – one that Thorin had given to him many years ago – and a belt of silver and sapphires. On his head sat the great gold and blue crown of his ancestors. Hid beard was decorated with slivers of silver interwoven through its braids so that when he turned in the sunlight, it glittered like gold. He was the next king; it was certain.

Kili stood proudly next to him, a billowing silver cloak cascading over his shoulder and one arm, clasped to his waist-belt by a silver lion's head. I could see them from where I stood at the back of the room, awaiting Tauriel's entrance. My belly was large with child now, but the shortened royal blue elf's gown I wore did well to hide it. It's high bodice and free skirt showed little hint of my swollen figure beneath. But today was not my pregnancy; no, it was very much about Fili's wedding and the union of the dwarfs of Erebor and the elves of Mirkwood.

Thranduil, who was perched on his throne above the ceremony, abruptly and elegantly stood, bidding the bride's entrance. Our assembly – that is, the company of dwarves, the elves' royal house, the elves of Rivendell and the Lady Galadriel, Gandalf and Bilbo Baggins – rose and Tauriel glided into the throne room. She was even more radiant than I thought possible; her wistful silk gown floated about her silhouette, its train gliding along the floor behind her. Her hair was done in the traditional elven braids, with white ribbon interwoven through it. On her head rested a circlet of white lilies. She smiled at me in her ever-mirthful manner as she passed. I picked up her train after her and began to follow her down the aisle.

But I was not to enjoy their ceremony to its end, as fate would have it. I faltered as a searing pain ripped through my swollen belly, and I handed Tauriel's train to one of the elf maidens. As luck would have it, I had not reached more than three feet from the entrance to the throne room, and was able to make a hasty exit. Once out of the room, I collapsed in pain and clutched my stomach. Wet warmth had gathered at my feet. No! Not yet!

I hauled myself up, and another person rushed to my side. I looked up and saw Bilbo Baggins, come to aid me to my feet. He smiled at me.

"Let's get you to a bed," he said, and lifted my arm about his shoulders. Stifling a scream as the baby kicked and writhed inside of me, I hobbled away from the ceremony, leaving the happy couple to enjoy their day, at least. Bilbo led me to the nearest room and laid me down on the pristine bed. He stripped me of the confines of my dress and wrapped me up in the warmth of the linen sheets. I breathed hard. A Durin marriage and a Durin heir all in one day were a little much for me to handle.

* * *

Tauriel and Fili smiled at each other, finally wed and about to share their first kiss. Both a happy marriage and peace was made between the elves and dwarves now. But as they leant in to share a kiss, a faint cry hushed the room. Everyone in the room turned to the doorway to see Bilbo, disheveled and a little bloody, breathing hard and waving his hands frantically towards the village.

"Kerra…" he breathed, and mumbled something incoherent in his exhausted state. Kili stepped forward, a little irked that the Hobbit had interrupted the ceremony so rudely. Bilbo frowned at him and pointed his stout little finger at him sternly.

"I have just delivered," he exclaimed in exasperation, "your daughter, Kili Durin! Don't you dare take that tone…that tone…"

Whether it was from exhaustion, or the sheer shock of having to deliver a baby, Bilbo fainted.

* * *

Tada! What do you think? I loved writing in Bilbo's part in this chapter. He's an adorable character, really. Pleas review and let me know what you thought :)


	18. Chapter 17

Kili hesitated at the doorway to the room in which Kerra and his newborn daughter waited, a mere curtain of silk screening his vision into the room. His heart thrummed in his chest, anticipation coursing through his veins as he heard a tiny cry, not unlike the mew of a kitten, sound from inside. Resolutely, he steadied himself and brushed aside the soft silk screen and caught immediate sight of his little girl cradled in the arms of his beloved. His expression faltered and he breathed a moment, taking in the beautiful sight of mother and child, the soft sunlight of the late morning shining serenely on the both of them as if he witnessed a vision of heaven itself.

Kerra looked up at him, her eyes bright with the tenderness of motherhood and love. She shifted the baby in her arms, holding her out slightly so that Kili could see her completely. She was tiny, fragile, and his own princess. He strode to Kerra's side and placed an emotional kiss upon her forehead. She had borne the stress of childbirth in his ignorance, and he was both saddened and proud of her for it. He knew she was strong – she was the mother of Durin's heir, after all.

"Would you hold her?" Kerra asked, her voice weary from the heavy labor. Kili nodded, and in his elation, a tear slipped from its threshold and fell upon his cheek. He was a father now – a father! He reached for the babe clothed in soft linen, and took her into his arms. He ogled at his creation, this babe that had come from her mother's womb not an hour ago.

"Have you named her?" he asked, pulling his gaze from his daughter to gaze at his wife. She was beautiful, he thought, in the aftermath of such fortitude. Kerra smiled at him and nodded.

"I have named her Kiarri, after her mother and father," she replied. Kili grinned in approval – a fitting name for his princess – and turned back to the babe in his arms. He bounced her gently in his hold, and she produced a gummy grin. He could not help but chuckle, as did Kerra at the sight of her husband and their newborn daughter.

"Kiarri," Kili echoed. "I shall call you Kiarri Thora Durin – after my uncle – heir to Durinson's kingdom of Erebor."

Kerra grinned, and it seemed that her whole face lit up with a certain glow that only motherhood could bring. Kili leant down, Kiarri safe in his arms, and kissed Kerra on her forehead. Finally they were complete as the family he had always wanted. Although their home was not under the Lonely Mountain, he could care less. What mattered was that he was here, with his brother, wife and newborn daughter, alive and happy at last. Kerra breathed in deeply and sighed contentedly. She opened her eyes to see Fili, Bilbo, Tauriel, Thranduil, Legolas and the other dwarves congregating at the door, smiling their loving blessings at the new member of Kili's household.

"Here," she said finally, "is our home; surrounded by the love of our comrades, and protected by the fallen ones. Here, I think, we have found our peace and happiness."

Fili stepped forward and kissed his brother's daughter upon the forehead. Kili passed the babe back to her mother. The Durinsons smiled and looked to the mother of their heir with elated smiles.

"Aye," the muttered heartedly and bowed to her. "We, Fili and Kili, are ever at your service."

* * *

Final chapter done and dusted! I hope you enjoyed my story. I thought I'd end it with a bit of a bang. A nod to my prevailing favourite Fili and Kili scene :)

Please tell me what you thought :)


End file.
